French Lace

Where to plant. Wedding gardens, monochrome white borders, delicate groups of 3–5 bushes in front of a dark backdrop (thuja, yew, cypress); looks lovely in the shade of tall roses, where it 'glows' in partial shade; do not plant it beside strong colours (red, fuchsia) — it gets lost.

Climate. To −20 °C — in Ukraine with moderate winter protection in northern and central regions; in southern Ukraine with light cover.

Care. A classic floribunda — prune in spring by ⅓; outstanding resistance almost removes the need for fungicides; remove faded flowers so they do not spoil the look (they turn brown).

Name. 'French Lace' — English for 'French lace'. The name conveys the lacy, delicate weave and the shape of the buds — creamy white with a soft peach tint, as if cut from Victorian lace. A favourite variety for wedding bouquets and bridal gowns in garden settings.

Breeding. Bred by William A. Warriner, Jackson & Perkins, USA, 1980. Code JAClace. Parentage: 'Dr. A.J. Verhage' (HT, Verbeek 1961) × 'Bridal Pink' / JACbri (Floribunda, Boerner 1966). The name of the parent 'Bridal Pink' ('bride's pink') explains the 'bridal' heritage of the variety.

Significance. One of Warriner's best-known floribundas — AARS 1982 (All-America Rose Selections, the main US award for garden quality) + Portland Gold Medal 1984. 45+ years in production at Jackson & Perkins — a rare achievement for a floribunda. The standard 'wedding' rose in American gardens — a symbol of tenderness and classic elegance in the 1980s. Warriner was the leading J&P breeder of the 1960s–1980s, who bred dozens of AARS-winners; his style is the 'classic American floribunda': compact, fragrant, very resistant.